Dear Juno, or any other teenager who finds themselves in a similar situation,
I’m not here to lecture you on your decisions or tell you what you did was wrong. Your sex life is none of my business or concern, and frankly, it is of my opinion that teenagers having sex is perfectly fine, as long as both parties are responsible and go about using the necessary protection. And that is where the problem arises. You made the mistake of not using contraception, and because of that, suffered the consequences. Any sane person would say you are required to take some responsibility for that.
But fortunately for you, you did. You immediately faced the fact that you were not ready to raise a child on your own. For that, I congratulate you. You chose what you believed to be the best option for yourself and the baby, and that was adoption. Of course, you had every opportunity to get an abortion, which would have put the entire situation behind you. And of course, you are perfectly capable of getting an abortion thanks to Roe v. Wade, and the Fourteenth Amendment would keep the situation under wraps. But, you chose to keep the life of the child, going through with the hardships that come with pregnancy, to give birth to a baby you were going to let someone else take care of. That, in opinion, is true bravery and the right decision to make for you and the situation you were in.
Of course, that isn’t to say I am against abortion. Quite frankly, I think every woman has the right to do whatever they wish with their body, and I cannot say anything against them or stop them. I myself could never get an abortion, but if it is what an expecting mother feels will bring about the best outcome, then by all means, it is the best decision for them. The law should not tell anyone what to do with their body, no matter what.
Though I do think the actions you took after finding out about your unexpected pregnancy, I do think you should have had a little foresight. Using a condom during sex is a logical step, when you are young and not looking to be a mother. I am certain your action was in the heat of the moment, you were not thinking clearly, blinded by your immature lust. You yourself should have thought about this before jumping on in. I do think though that education systems need to make a better effort to ensure that students understand the risks of unprotected sex and what could happen. Perhaps the fact that you can get pregnant by having sex without protection wasn't stressed to you enough in your home life or at school, and this needs to change. It is hard to expect teenagers to make smart decisions when they aren't given the necessary knowledge to do so. So unless you were simply stupid and ignored everything told to you about sex and how it works, I place some of the blame on the education system in America. No one can be expected to make a good decision when they don't know how. Once you give someone the information, then all blame lies on them if they decide to have unprotected sex and end up pregnant.
At the end of the day, you made the right choice, because it was the decision that felt best for you. Whether I think if it is what I would do or not, or what others think, is irrelevant. In the end, what you do with your pregnancy falls into your hands. You got yourself into this mess, it is up to you to decide how to get out. Whether it be abortion, adoption, or raising the baby on your own, you must think over your life situation and figure out what would be best for you.
Good luck in life, and I hope for your health in everything you do.
I’m not here to lecture you on your decisions or tell you what you did was wrong. Your sex life is none of my business or concern, and frankly, it is of my opinion that teenagers having sex is perfectly fine, as long as both parties are responsible and go about using the necessary protection. And that is where the problem arises. You made the mistake of not using contraception, and because of that, suffered the consequences. Any sane person would say you are required to take some responsibility for that.
But fortunately for you, you did. You immediately faced the fact that you were not ready to raise a child on your own. For that, I congratulate you. You chose what you believed to be the best option for yourself and the baby, and that was adoption. Of course, you had every opportunity to get an abortion, which would have put the entire situation behind you. And of course, you are perfectly capable of getting an abortion thanks to Roe v. Wade, and the Fourteenth Amendment would keep the situation under wraps. But, you chose to keep the life of the child, going through with the hardships that come with pregnancy, to give birth to a baby you were going to let someone else take care of. That, in opinion, is true bravery and the right decision to make for you and the situation you were in.
Of course, that isn’t to say I am against abortion. Quite frankly, I think every woman has the right to do whatever they wish with their body, and I cannot say anything against them or stop them. I myself could never get an abortion, but if it is what an expecting mother feels will bring about the best outcome, then by all means, it is the best decision for them. The law should not tell anyone what to do with their body, no matter what.
Though I do think the actions you took after finding out about your unexpected pregnancy, I do think you should have had a little foresight. Using a condom during sex is a logical step, when you are young and not looking to be a mother. I am certain your action was in the heat of the moment, you were not thinking clearly, blinded by your immature lust. You yourself should have thought about this before jumping on in. I do think though that education systems need to make a better effort to ensure that students understand the risks of unprotected sex and what could happen. Perhaps the fact that you can get pregnant by having sex without protection wasn't stressed to you enough in your home life or at school, and this needs to change. It is hard to expect teenagers to make smart decisions when they aren't given the necessary knowledge to do so. So unless you were simply stupid and ignored everything told to you about sex and how it works, I place some of the blame on the education system in America. No one can be expected to make a good decision when they don't know how. Once you give someone the information, then all blame lies on them if they decide to have unprotected sex and end up pregnant.
At the end of the day, you made the right choice, because it was the decision that felt best for you. Whether I think if it is what I would do or not, or what others think, is irrelevant. In the end, what you do with your pregnancy falls into your hands. You got yourself into this mess, it is up to you to decide how to get out. Whether it be abortion, adoption, or raising the baby on your own, you must think over your life situation and figure out what would be best for you.
Good luck in life, and I hope for your health in everything you do.
-- Brianna